Growing Wild Rice Sprouts

Yields approximately 1 Cup (1/2 lb.) of Sprouts

Prep 2/3 cup of seed* then transfer (if necessary) into a bowl or into your Sprouter. Add 2-3 times as much cool (60°-70°) water. Mix seeds up to assure even water contact for all. Allow seeds to Soak for 4-24 hours. (read Rice Note directly below for specifics on the Rice you are sprouting.)

Rice Note: ANYtime we soak ANY seed for longer than 12 hours, we change the water. when your first 12 hours is done: Drain off the soak water, Rinse the seeds and refill with fresh water. Continue soaking. It is extremely rare to soak longer than 12 hours, but Brown Rice is a seed that can usually take it. We suggest that you try your first batch with a 12 hour Soak and see how you like the results. You can try the longer Soak on future crops. That way you'll know the differences and which you prefer. Wehani and Red Thai will sprout well after an 8-12 hour Soak. Wild Rice will split after a short Soak and frankly, we've never seen a sprout on it, but it is SO GOOD we don't care. We Soak it for about 4 hours. It is the one rice we actually eat raw. It is still plenty chewy, but it's quite good. Lori loves it!

Empty the seeds into your Sprouter (if necessary). Drain off the soak water. You may water plants or use it in stock if you like - it has nutrients in it. Rinse thoroughly with cool (60°-70°) water. Drain thoroughly!

Set your Sprouter anywhere out of direct sunlight and at room temperature (70° is optimal) between Rinses. This is where your sprouts do their growing. We use a counter top - in the corner of our kitchen, but where the sprouter won't get knocked over by cats, dogs, kids or us. We don't mind the indirect sunlight or the 150 watts of incandescent light, because light just does not matter much. A plant can only perform photosynthesis when it has leaves. Until then light has little if any effect. Sprouts also happen to like air-circulation, so don't hide your sprouts.

Rinse and Drain again in 8-12 hours. And, perhaps one more... Rinse and Drain in 8-12 hours. And, if you like one more... Rinse and Drain in 8-12 hours.

We usually stop here (or sooner if we have roots). We like our rice sprouts small (actually we don't even care if rice sprouts. A bulging germ is more than good enough for us. Once a seed takes in its fill of water it is alive and therefore nutritionally superior.

Harvest Your sprouts are done 8-12 hours after your final Rinse. Be sure to Drain them as thoroughly as possible after that final Rinse. The goal during the final 8-12 hours is to minimize the surface moisture of your sprouts - they will store best in your refrigerator if they are dry to the touch.

Refrigerate Transfer the sprout crop to a plastic bag or the sealed container of your choice. We have Produce Storage Bags that will extend shelf life substantially.

* If using Sproutpeople's Single Harvest Pack - use the whole bag. It will produce a crop of approximately 8 ounces.

These seeds yield approximately 1.5:1 - which means the sprouts will weigh one-and-one-half times as much as the seed you start with, so you can theoretically start with 2/3 as much dry seed as your Sprouter's capacity, though we always suggest you leave more room - especially when you are new to a crop.